FAQ

Q: MY COMIC IS IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE, CAN I STILL SUBMIT?

A: All the lettering in your comic should be in ENGLISH. If the judges can't read it, then they won't understand your story. If there is something written in another language within the artwork (street signs, titles, etc) then it should be fine, but if it is vital to the story, you should reconsider submitting.

Q: WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A CATEGORY FOR GRAPHIC NOVELS?

A: We really really wanted to have GRAPIC NOVEL as a category, but it's currently too much for the judges to handle. In the future we would love to include it in the competition.

Q: WHY ARE YOU CHARGING MONEY FOR SUBMISSIONS?

A: After all of our expenses, the prizes, the marketing costs, we don't even know if we'll break even. We're ok with that because we want Ghost City to grow into something bigger. We'd love to have a presence at conventions, do in-person meet-ups, print anthologies of the winning comics, and so many ideas that are currently out of reach.

Q: CAN I SUBMIT MY SCRIPT/PENCILS?

A: You should only submit completed comics. Judges want to read the finished product as if they were reading any other comic. They're not just judging the writing or the inks, but the whole experience.

Q: IF I MAKE UPDATES TO MY COMIC AFTER SUBMITTING, CAN I UPLOAD A NEW VERSION?

A: Unfortunately we can NOT allow new versions to be submitted. Please, please, please make sure your comic is absolutely final when you submit. If your comic file has some kind of technical error making it impossible to read, we will reach out for a fixed version.

Q: DOES THE PAGE COUNT INCLUDE THE COVER AND TITLE PAGE?

A: The page count should be for the interior pages, the pages where the story is told. Covers and title pages are not required.

A: Nope. You must own the characters, settings, and stories. Unless it is in the PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Q: CAN I SUBMIT FOR BEST WRITER/ARTIST/COLORIST/LETTERING?

A: You can only submit to the three length categories: ONE PAGE, SHORT STORY, AND SINGLE ISSUE. All other awards will be chosen from those submissions.

Q: I'M UNDER 13/18 YEARS OLD, CAN I ENTER MY COMIC?

A: Unfortunately, if you are under 13 years old, you may NOT enter the contest. If you are between the ages of 13 and 17, you may enter, but must have permission from a parent or legal guardian. These age restrictions apply to the person submitting the comic, paying the submission fee, and accepting the awards and prizes.

Q: WILL I GET FEEDBACK ON MY COMIC?

A: Only the WINNERS, RUNNERS UP, and FINALISTS will receive feedback on their work. In the future we would love to give EVERY submission feedback, so hopefully next year!

Q: CAN I PAY WITH CHECK/CASH/MONEY ORDER?

A: At this time we only accept payments via our secure online checkout.

A: We don't own the publishing rights to the comics submitted, so we can't post or publish the winners without permission. If the winners allow it, we will happily share the comic with the world. We'd also like to someday create a physical printed anthology of the winning comics.

Q: IS THIS COMPETITION ONLY FOR AMATEURS?

A: We want the spirit of this competition to be by and for aspiring comic creators. We do not allow comics that have been published by major publishers (for a list of disqualified publishers, click HERE).

Q: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE MY COMIC INTO A PDF, CAN YOU HELP?

A: HERE is a video about making a comic into PDF using Adobe Indesign (our recommended method). You can also check out the MAKING COMICS 101 page for places to reach out to other comic creators who may be able to help you out.